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Former SDNY Civil Fraud Chief to SNR Denton

By Laterals, Etc.

Sean Cenawood, the former head of the Southern District of New York’s Civil Frauds unit, will become a partner at SNR Denton, the firm said in a release.

Cenawood, a 13-year veterans of the U.S. Attorney’s office, was named as head of the unit when it was created in March. He previously served as the office?s affirmative civil enforcement coordinator, health care fraud coordinator and Immigration Unit chief.

Full release after the jump. – LN

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Cenawood Joins SNR Denton?s New York Office

NEW YORK (October 4, 2010)?Sean C. Cenawood, chief of the Civil Frauds Unit and affirmative civil enforcement coordinator in the U.S. Attorney?s Office for the Southern District of New York, has joined SNR Denton as a partner in its White Collar & Government Investigations practice, the law firm announced today. Cenawood is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney?s Office, having previously served as health care fraud coordinator, senior trial counsel and chief of its Immigration Unit.

?Sean is a terrific talent and a top flight litigator,? said Glenn C. Colton, chair of SNR Denton?s White Collar & Government Investigations practice. ?Sean?s substantial government experience and health care expertise will prove invaluable to the expanded international client base of SNR Denton.?

During his tenure as chief of the Civil Frauds Unit and affirmative civil enforcement coordinator, Cenawood supervised the entire affirmative civil enforcement initiative of the U.S. Attorney?s Office. He oversaw the recovery of more than $315 million and advised attorneys in the Office on all aspects of affirmative cases, including investigation, coordination with criminal probes, litigation and settlement. Cenawood directed the investigative activities of federal agents from a variety of agencies, including the FBI and Offices of Inspector General. He also personally handled health care investigations of hospitals, importers and pharmacies, as well as civil rights, mortgage fraud and tax fraud investigations.

As head of the Southern District’s health care fraud unit from 2006-08, Cenawood handled dozens of major fraud investigations and litigations involving hospitals, pharmacies and physicians. He coordinated investigations with the Office?s criminal division and with the New York Attorney General?s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Prior to that, Cenawood supervised litigation of all immigration matters (more than 3,000 annually) pending before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Cenawood is a past recipient of the Attorney General?s Award, the highest honor conferred by the U.S. Department of Justice. He was recently presented with the Henry L. Stimson Award by the Bar Association of the City of New York, given to outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

?SNR Denton?s litigation and health care expertise make it the perfect platform for my return to the private sector,? said Cenawood. ?I am excited to join an elite group of former federal prosecutors and government officials and to be a part of SNR Denton from its inception.?

Cenawood received a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law and a B.A. degree, with honors, from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He began his legal career as a litigation associate at Proskauer Rose LLP.

About SNR Denton

SNR Denton is a client-focused international legal practice delivering quality and value. We serve clients in key business and financial centers from 48 locations in 32 countries, through offices, associate firms and special alliances across the US, UK, Europe, the Middle East, Russia and the CIS, South-East Asia, and Africa, making us a top 25 legal services provider by lawyers and professionals worldwide. Joining the complementary top tier practices of its founding firms — Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP and Denton Wilde Sapte LLP — SNR Denton offers business, government and institutional clients premier service and a disciplined focus to meet evolving needs in eight key industry sectors: Energy, Transport and Infrastructure; Financial Institutions and Funds; Government; Health and Life Sciences; Insurance; Manufacturing; Real Estate, Retail and Hotels; and Technology, Media and Telecommunications. Please see snrdenton.com for more information and Legal Notices.

Full post as published by Main Justice on October 07, 2010 (boomark / email).